Improvement in knitting-machines



4sheers---sheez2- A. REED 8L B. T. MULLIGAN.

Knitting-Machines.'

P-at-,ent'ed Dec. 2 ,1874.

wat@

UivrrEo STATES PATEN ALMET REED AND BARTLEY T. MULLIGAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNlTTlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,313, dated December 29, 1874; application filed December 22,1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALMET REED and BARTLEY T. MULLIGAN, both of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knitting Machines; and we do hereby declare the fol-4 lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, refer erence being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication, in which drawing- Figure lis a plan view of a knitting-machine provided with our improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the machine. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, showing more in detail than in the previous iigures the shifting apparatus, by which the direction of motion of the pattern-cylinder is governed automatically. Fig. 5 shows an improved device for operating the wiper,77 the old method being shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

rlhis invention relates to that class of knitting-machines in which a pattern-cylinder is employed for changing the direction of the motion of the needle-cylinder; and consists, among other things, in an eccentric on the driving or cam shaft, combined with a jointed lever of the first order, for imparting motion to the shaft or gear which drives the patterncylinder, the end of the lever being inade to work on the principle of an escapement, whereby the gear or shaft, and consequently the pattern-cylinder, has imparted to it a regulated step-by-step motion, and its momentum is always controlled. 4Italso consists of a peculiar device for communicating motion to the pattern-cylinder from the said gear or shaft by means of a system of bevel-gears and double sliding clutch, whereby the pattern-cylinder is rotated in one direction, or the opposite direction, according to the connections that are made by the clutch. The clutch is actuated from the pattern-cylinder itself by means of bevel-faced shifting-pins arranged at suitable points on its periphery, according to the work to be knitted, the said pins acting against a rack-rod, which is raised by the pins, and

whose teeth engage a spur-gear sliding on a feather on a rock-shaft provided with a cam,

which lifts a spring-latch, whose oiflce it is to lock the double sliding clutch whenever either of its ends is engaged with the clutch-gear. The double sliding clutch has an arm, which extends from it to a rod, to which it is attached. Around this rod are placed two independent spiral springs, which are separated by an arm extending from a traveling nut, hereinafter mentioned. The outer end of one of the springs abuts against the clutch-arm, and the inner end against the arm of the nut, which arm is arranged to slide on the rod between the springs, and extends from a traveling nut, that runs upon a screw that is turned either toward the right or the left, according to which end of the clutch is engaged. The other spring is arranged on the rod on the other side of the arm, and abuts, by its outer end, against an adjustable collar on the rod. The said rod is arranged in its bearings in such a manner that it can be moved endwise the same distance as the double clutch, to which it is rigidly secured by the clutcharm, before nientioned.

When the spring-latch is raised, the clutcharm, and the rod to which said arm is connected, is pushed one way or the other by the springs," according as one or the other has been .compressed by the nut-arm, and the clutch is moved from one clutch-gear to the other. The clutch-gears revolve continuously in opposite directions, one of them being formed on a hollow shaft, which turns loosely o n a'n innershaft, to which the other clutchgear is secured.

When the clutch is shifted7 the direction of rotation of the pattern-cylinder is reversed, and, since the screw is rotated directly from the same gear-teeth on the pattern-cylinder, with which the pinion on the sliding clutch is engaged, it follows that the direction of rotation of the screw is also reversed at the same time. rEhe nut 011 the screw carries the rackarm, which is actuated by the shifting-pins, and also another rack-arm, which is actuated by those patterns on the cylinder which reverse the needle-cylinder. The last-mentioned 2 ramene rack-arm engages a sliding spur-gear on a rock-shaft, which is also, like the rock-shaft heretofore referred to, provided with a cam tha-t lifts a lever connected with the yarngnide, and the yarn-guide has lateral extensions at each end, which carry pins that work in inclined slots in sliding aprons, whose office it is to intervene between the geared ring on the needle-cylinder and the drivin g-pawls that engage vsaid geared ring on either side, and rotate the needle cylinder, or the inclined slots can be made in the extensions, and the pins placed on the aprons. The said drivingpawls are moved by cams or eccentrics on the cam-shaft. Our invention also consists in an improved means for operating the wiper, which wipes or pushes the work down to the bases of the needles as the goods are knitted.

The letter A designates the frame of the machine, and B a needle-cylinder, provided with vertical grooves, in which the needles a move up and down as they are successively brought into action. rlhe needle-ring is inclosed within a frame, D, in such a manner that it can be rotated or turned in either direction as the direction of the knitting is changed. The up-and-down movements ofthe needles are effected by a bar, E, whose front face `is grooved to receive the projections of the needles, which come opposite to it as the needle-ring is turned in one direction or the other, said bar E being moved up and down by a vertical slide, F, working in guides b b, the slide F being operated from the drivingshaft G by means of an eccentric, d, connecting-rod e, and rocking arms fj", fixed on a shaft, g, the end of the arm f1 being connected to the slide F by a connecting-rod, f2, made in two parts, and connected by a nut, f3, having a thread 011 its exterior and interior, one right, the other left, the inner thread working on a stem 011 the end of one part, and the outer thread working Within the other part, in such a manner that by the rotation of the nut the connecting-rod is either lengthened or shortcned, and thereby the extent of motion imparted to the needles is controlled and regulated.

The needle -pressers Y, the detent T for engaging thevtoothed ring N of the needlecylinder, the spring-pawls (l q, and their levers l) P for driving the needle-cylinder, with .their actuating cams or eccentrics on the drivingshaft G, remain as heretofore constructed.

rlhe shaft H, (on which the pattern-cylinder H is supported,) has on one end a gear-wheel, t', which is driven from an eccentric, 2, on the shaft G by means of ajointed lever, g1, of the first order, having its fulcrum at g2. The lever g1 is constructed and operates'on the princi ple of anescapement, causing the gear t' to move one tooth at a time, and locking it after each movement, so that it can neither move onward from the. effect of the momentum, nor

'react from the effect of resistance. rlhe shorter end of the lever is made with a beveled spring, propelling tooth g3, working in a socket, g4, in the said lever, and is provided with a springdetent, g5, workin g through ears g5 formed on the same part of the frame of the machine which supports the fulcrum of said lever. The shorter end of said lever is provided with an extension, gl, which extends between the ears gG, and is slotted to allow the detent to go through it; and, between the said extension 97 and the forward ear 9G, said detent is surrounded by a spiral spring, one end of which is fastened to the detent, while said detent on the part between said extension and the back l ear g is provided with a pin, g8, against which the extension strikes, when the lever is vibrated in the direction of the arrow marked thereon, and the detent is thereby withdrawn from engagement with the gear, and allows the gear to be moved byV the spring-tooth. But the spring tooth and detent are so arranged that before the detent is withdrawn the bevel of the spring-tooth is carried, by the vibration of the lever, against and past the adjacent tooth of the gear-wheel, so as to engage that tooth by its straight edge, the de-A tent meanwhile holding the wheel stationary; and so soon as the beveled tooth has passed to that position the continued vibration ofthe lever operates to withdraw the detent, and allow the reverse movement of the lever to advance the gear-wheel the distance of one tooth, when the detent is'released, and is again pushed by its spring between adjacent teelh of the gear.

The gear-wheel t' is supposed, in the drawing, to be moving in the direction of the arrow, Figs. 2 and 4, and it follows that' the pinion j, engaged by it, will be turned in the opposite direction. i

rlhe pinion j is fast on the sleeve or hollow shaft jl, on whose inner end is formed the clutch-gearj2,wl1ilc its outer end has fixed thereon the bevel-gear j, which engages the intermediate horizontal bevel-gear j4, and through the latter communicates motion,.by the bevel-gearj5, to the shaftj, which extends through said hollow shaft jl and through'the sliding clutch j, and has fixed on its inner end a clutch-gear, j. The clutch j7 has a wide pinion, j, formed upon it, in 'such a position that it will always engage the gear-teeth H2 placed around the pattern-cylinder H1. The clutch carries also an arm, jm, which extends upward over the pattern-cylinder to the rod or bar s, to which it is fastened; and the clutch-arm and rod are held stationary after every reversal of the clutch by means of a spring-latch, s1, which has at -its end a pin, which enters holes in the arm, so thatthe rod s and the clutch are locked and prevented from moving endwise. The rod or bar s is arranged so that it can slide endwise a distance equal to the motion 'given to the clutch, and is provided with two independent spiral springs, s2 s3, which are separated from each other by an arm, u, made with an eye, so as to embrace and slide on the rod. The inner ends of the springs bear against the sides of the arm u, and the outer end of the spring' s3 bears against the clutch-armjw, while the outer end of the spring s2 bears against an adjustable collar on the left-hand end of the rod. The arm u extendspfrom a nut, u2, (of which it is a part,) that travels on the "screw a3, which is revolved from the gear H2 of the patterncylinder through the pinion c4, fixed on the screw. rlhe arm u, that extends from the nut, carries on its side (see Fig. l) a spur-gear, a5, which is connected by a feather to the rockshaft c6, (over which the said arm extends,) so that it can slide thereon; and the body of the spur-gear is made large enough to allow a rackarm, ul, provided at its lower end with an antifriction roller, to work up and down through it, the teeth of the rack-arm engaging the spurgear, so as to rock the said shaft c6 whenever the traverse of the nut on its screw brings the rack-arm in contact with one or the other of two shiftingepins, u8, which are set in holes in the periphery of the patterncylinder, in such positions and in such relation to each other as will cause the direction of rotation of the pattern-cylinder to be changed automatically at any desired point ofthe traverse of the nut on the screw, so that the machine can continue its work automatically, without requiring the attendant to effect such change of direction.

The reversal of the direction of rotation of the screw is effected, by means of the parts already mentioned, through a lifter or cam, a9,

on the rock-shaft a6, which lifts the spring latch sl and unlocks the clutch-arm jl() and rod s, which are immediately pushed along by the spring s3 toward the right, (observing Fig. 4,) when th it spring is compressed bythe arm u, and are moved toward the left when the spring s2 is compressed by said arm, the extent of movement being such as to disengage the clutch at one end, and engage it at the other.

rlhe pattern-cylinder is provided on its peri phery with pattern-bars H3, one or more arranged spirally, with a pitch equal to the pitch ot' thread of the screw, and of whatever length is desired, according to the variations required in the knitting. rlhe patternbars can be changed on the cylinder, it' desired, for changes in the work; or different cylinders or skeletons, each having a different length or dili'erent position of pattern-bars, can be provided and placed on the cylinder-shaft. The pattern-bars H3 furnish the means for shifting the yarn-guide K and'for oscillating or changing' the direction of the needle-cylinder. These actions are accomplished by a rack-arm, x, whose end, provided witlran anti-friction roller, rests on the periphery of the patterircylinder, and, when a pattern-bar, H3, lies in its path, the rack-arm is lifted by it and turns a spur-gear, 001, which is connected,

by means vof a feather, with a rock-shaft, .12, on which is a lifting-cam, m3, that operates the jointed lever, x4, and thereby changes the position of the yarn-guide K. The spur-gear x1, like the spur-gear c5, is connected to the nut u2, and is carried with it to the right or left,

so as to come in line with and meet the pattern-bars. The yarn-guide K has on each side extensions K1- K1, which are eachl provided with inclined slots K2 near their ends, that receive studs formed on aprons r r1, which latter are, respectively, moved by the action of the studs in their slots so as to intervene between one or the other of the driving-pawls q g and the teeth on the needle-ring when one or the other of said pawls is to be brought into or out of action. After the pattern-bar that caused this movement has passed from under the rack-arm, the lever :r4 is pressed down by a weight or spring as the cam on the rockshaft x2 falls, and the driving-pawl7 which was in operation before such movement is restored to action, and the rotation of the needle-cylinder proceeds in the direction in which it had been running before the change occurred.

The wiper l is made of rigid material, such as metal, wood, or hard rubber, in contradistinction fromyielding material, and we operate it from the cam-shaft by means of the strap of the eccentric d, which works the needle-slide F, and by an independent cam, in the following manner:

0n. the top of the strap d we arrange a rising arm, y, carrying an anti-friction roller,and the arm y is surmounted by a yoke, y1, within which it oscillates with. the movements of the eccentrics. From the yoke-yI extends a lever, 1/2, working on a sliding fulcrum, g3, and the other end of the lever is adjustably connected to a vertical arm, 1 4, that extends upward from the wiper l. rlhe revolution of the eccentric d causes the yoke y1 and lever y2, and with them the wiper l, to be oscillated back and forth, and, in addition to this motion, we give the lever and wiper simultaneously a rising and falling motion by means of a lever, g5, whose free end, g5, comes up against the under side of the lever y2 in front of itsfulcrum, its other end being in contact with a cam, 1/3, formed on the cam-shaft G, as shown 'in Fig. 5. rllhe wiper is pressed downward by means of the spring' yl, which is arranged under the back end of lever y2, so as to keep the front end constantly bearing downward with a gentle pressure.

In this manner a compound motion is imparted to the wiper,the action of the under lever Q/ upon the lever y2 being so timed that the wiper is lifted at the time the wiper has reached its lowest position and is being moved away from the needles.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The escapement lever gl, provided with the spring-tooth g3 and spring-debout g5, in combination With the cani-shaft Gr and drivin ,ff-sh aft H, substantially iisdescribed.

2. rlhe sliding,` clutch jf and the clutch-gear jz and j and their shafts, in combination with the nut u2, screw n3, pattern-cylinder H1, and springs s2 s3, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the screw n3, nut u2, spur-gear x1, and rock-arm with the yarnguide K, substantially as described.

4. The combination ofthe sliding clutch and e1utch-gezirs7the pinion j, bevel-gears j3 j4j5,

and shzi'tsj6 jl with the pattern-cylinder, substantially as vseis forth.

5. The levers y2 g5, arranged and operated as described, in combination with the wiper l7 as set forth.

This specification signed by ns this 12th day of March, 1873.

ALMET REED. BARTLEY T. MULLGAN. Vitnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

